BUCHANAN, Va. — Buchanan’s former treasurer will spend three years in prison for embezzling from the town.

Media outlets report that 61-year-old Wanda G. Smith of Buchanan also must pay more than $145,000 in restitution. That’s the amount a forensic accountant hired by Smith and her attorney suggests she took over a three-year period.

Smith pleaded guilty in July to 12 felony embezzlement counts. Botetourt County Circuit Court Judge Michael Irvine sentenced her on Thursday to 24 years in prison with all but three years suspended.

Smith was fired in January after serving as treasurer for nearly 30 years.

She apologized to the town during Thursday’s sentencing hearing. But she said she took less than the amount identified by the forensic accountant.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.